New Year, Same Noise Floor — Time to Listen Smarter
A new year begins. Fresh logs, fresh plans, and the familiar hope that this year the noise will somehow be lower.
It never is.
So instead of promising miracles, this first issue of 2026 does what RF.Guru does best: reset expectations, sharpen understanding, and focus on the part of the station that actually decides whether you hear DX — the receive system.
From active antennas in impossible spaces to long-standing myths about noise, polarization, and dynamic range, this issue sets the tone for the year ahead: listen better, measure more, assume less.
House Noise Isn’t “Vertically Polarized”
A persistent myth finally put to rest. Noise doesn’t care about your antenna’s orientation — it couples wherever physics allows it.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/house-noise-isn-t-vertically-polarized
Active Receive Antenna — When the Attic Is Your Only Option
Not ideal, but sometimes unavoidable. Here’s how to make attic RX work without amplifying misery.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/active-receive-antenna-when-the-attic-is-your-only-option
Tuning Active Receive Antennas
Why tuning RX antennas is about linearity and balance — not chasing resonance.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/tuning-active-receive-antennas
Is Japan on 80 Meters “Real Low-Band DX”?
A reality check on propagation, geography, and what actually makes low-band DX impressive.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/is-japan-on-80-meters-real-low-band-dx
Contest OMs Ditched Their Verticals After This “No-Radials” Inverted-L
When ground losses dominate, changing geometry beats adding copper.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/contest-oms-ditched-their-verticals-after-this-no-radials-inverted-l
Why (EFHW) Inverted-L Antennas Beat Ground Verticals on the Top Bands
Height, current distribution, and physics — not fashion — decide performance on 160/80 m.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/why-inverted-l-antennas-beat-ground-verticals-on-the-top-bands
Does an Inverted-L EFHW Have a “Direction”?
Sometimes yes, often misunderstood, and never for the reasons people think.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/does-an-inverted-l-efhw-have-a-direction
Receive Antennas in a Nutshell
A clear, no-nonsense overview of RX antenna types, trade-offs, and realistic expectations.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/receive-antennas-in-a-nutshell
Dynamic Range Still Matters
Especially on HF. Especially in noisy environments. Especially with active antennas.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/dynamic-range-still-matters
Noise Figure on Active Receive Antennas at HF
Why obsessing over NF below the atmospheric noise floor misses the real problem entirely.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/noise-figure-on-active-receive-antennas-at-hf
Small Active Receive Loops — Engineering Beats Brochures
Loop size, balance, and linearity matter far more than glossy marketing claims.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/small-active-receive-loops-engineering-beats-brochures
E-Field vs H-Field Receive Antennas for 0–30 MHz
Understanding coupling mechanisms is the first step toward real noise reduction.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/e-field-vs-h-field-receive-antennas-for-0-30-mhz
Even an Inverted-V Needs a Choke
Because symmetry on paper doesn’t stop common-mode currents in the real world.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/even-an-inverted-v-needs-a-choke
Noise Coupled ≠ Noise Radiated
If you don’t know how noise enters your system, you’ll never remove it.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/noise-coupled-noise-radiated
Why the PA0FRI “Coax Balun 1:4 and 1:1” Document Keeps Coming Back
Outdated models have long afterlives — especially when they feel intuitive.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/why-the-pa0fri-coax-balun-1-4-and-1-1-document-keeps-coming-back
The Poking Ape and the Ham Radio Crashed Course
When confidence rises faster than understanding. A familiar story, now with TinySA and Baofeng Mini.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/the-poking-ape-and-the-ham-radio-crashed-course
Heinrich von Resonanz
A historical figure who never existed — yet perfectly explains why resonance obsession refuses to die.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/heinrich-von-resonanz
Prefer to start the year listening instead of reading? Let Mark’s calm, methodical explanations walk through many of these same topics — with measurements, visuals, and zero tolerance for RF mythology.
🔗 Watch the featured videos from our collaboration
A new year doesn’t require new antennas — it requires better understanding of the ones we already use.
If this issue helps you hear one weaker signal, identify one noise source, or stop chasing one false promise, it has already paid off.
73 and a quieter shack for 2026,
Joeri – ON6URE
Founder – RF.Guru
https://rf.guru/